BF&S is a manufacturing contractor providing products used in the aerospace, defense, medical, industrial, and commercial industries. Founded in 1988, BF&S has decades of experience manufacturing in Mexico, with over 500 employees in the state of Sonora.

As the Covid-19 vaccine became widely available in the United States, many individuals across the border in Mexico were kept waiting for a life-saving dose. As an organization that cares deeply for its employees and works closely across border lines, BF&S was dedicated to keeping their operators safe by providing access to vaccination. 
The Mexican Consulate has been working in partnership with the University of Arizona to roll out vaccines to first responders and employees working in manufacturing. Thanks to the committed negotiations between BF&S’s Director of Operations Robert Fernandez and their human relations team, and the Mexican Consulate, six busses carrying 170 BF&S operators recently traveled across the border to receive the single dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine. Departing from Cumpas, Sonora at 1:30am to make the 3.5 hour trip across the border and through US customs, the BF&S fleet was lined up and waiting in the cargo area to receive their vaccinations by 6:00am.

“It was a big company expense,” said CEO Carlos Fernandez, “Chartering 6 buses, providing meals for 170 employees, as well as the lost revenue for the two days we closed the facility to allow our team to travel as well as recover from vaccine reactions. It was one of the easiest decisions I ever made, our employees’ health is always our number one priority.” 

“It was a good day to be a BF&S employee,” said VP Robert Fernandez, “It was seamless. I give credit to our people for being so professional. A special Thank you to H.R. manager Fatima Cabrera for the incredible coordination it took to pull this off and Miria Montano for her support.” 

As Covid-19 vaccine availability continues to be uncertain in Mexico, BF&S has gone above and beyond to provide their employees with their best line of defense against the ongoing pandemic.